


Forgiven Me

by All_Is_On



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: One Shot, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:00:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26828503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_Is_On/pseuds/All_Is_On
Summary: Forgiveness is a journey, completed one good thing at a time.
Relationships: Catra/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	Forgiven Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hey look at that. A song fic. The prompt was Radio.
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/track/7haYHOlnbFWQmZ8gNe64qr?si=kyX0RwvwQaSws5qLhlr8tA

Brightmoon's library was empty when she entered. Catra wanders in, straight to the back, where a small listening room had been cultivated among the shelves.

"How are you always here when I need you?" Catra grins despite her mood.

Glimmer shrugs as she browses through the library's tape collection. One look at Catra gives her all she needs to make today's selection. She pops the tape into the stereo before taking a seat on the ragged carpet, patting the worn spot next to her. Catra takes her seat, popping open the bottle of wine she'd brought for herself.

Over the years, the two of them had flattened the fibers into thin circles. Others had commented a few times to get a new one, but neither of the girls could bring themselves to get rid of their spot. It wasn't the only place they could be vulnerable, where they could work out their feelings. The life and love they'd cultivated across Etheria made sure of that, but there was an understanding that formed in their shared experience aboard Prime's ship that they treasured.

One good thing. Those had been the words that started Catra on the right track. Words that she now lived by. It was Glimmer's belief redemption was possible. For both of them. It'd been so long since they were alone, isolated because of the mistakes they made. For years they did one good thing, and the next, and the next.

But Catra didn't know when she'd be done. When her next good thing would be enough.

_  
I hold a memory of myself  
Reflections of what I used to be  
  
_

The words bring Catra to a year into rebuilding after the war. Glimmer had been the one to find her in the library. She'd stuff herself between several uncatalogued crates, hoping her hiding spot would keep everyone away.

_  
These broken roads that got me here  
They make it hard to face reality  
  
_

"Why are you doing this Catra?"

"What, hiding?"

"No. Rebuilding."

Catra pauses. "Because it's the right thing to do."

Glimmer bites her lip, waiting for Catra to continue.

"Because I'm trying to apologize." Catra relents.

She uncurls from her ball on the floor, anger building as she keeps going. "I'm trying to show that I'm sorry for all the shitty things I did. So everyone will finally stop looking at me like I'm absolute trash!"

Catra is standing. Nails are in her palms. Her eyes narrow at an invisible them that hates her so much.

Glimmer leans her head back, and gently smiles at the magicat. "They'll see Catra. It'll take time, but they'll see." She whispers as a half-gloved hand reaches to uncurl tight fists.

Catra allows herself to relax, sliding her back against the crate, hand in Glimmer's. "Yeah. One good thing. When the fuck is it going to be enough?"

"I don't know." Glimmer squeezes Catra's hand. Her face gives away her own concerns about the question. "But it'll be enough. Not now. But it will."

_  
But a new day is here  
It's time that I embrace it  
  
_

Glimmer watches Catra as promised. The magicat holds a messily wrapped package behind her back. She feels stupid trying to hide the present behind her lithe form.

"It's obvious I'm hiding it!" Catra had muttered, resisting the idiotic directions.  
Glimmer just laughs and pushes Catra in the direction of the house. "It's just a thing we do."  
Catra frowns, throwing up the finger at Glimmer as she walks up.

Two quick raps on the door has Catra nervously waiting. Her tail flicks, knocking in to the frame she's holding behind her back. She looks back to Glimmer to mouth "No one's home."

"The lights are on!" Catra barely catches the stage whisper before Glimmer gives a cheerful thumbs up and hides in the bush again.

"Fuck this." Catra whispers, turning to leave, only to freeze as the door opens. An older deer hybrid leans heavily on his cane as he leans forward to squint at his visitor.

"Oh. Blessed me. You've decided to visit again. Are those kids causing trouble for you again?"

"No. I-" Catra's ears snap back to catch more words of encouragement from Glimmer. "You said that your portrait of She-Ra was destroyed in…" Catra's voice catches. Guilt filling her throat.

Noticing the pause, the old deer nods in understanding. "Yes. I'd been missing it dearly."

"I thought you'd. Want another." The package is brought in front of her, placed in the old deer's hands, and opened.  
"You don't have to keep if you don't want it. It's probably trash. I-" Catra's nervous rambling is cut off by thin arms wrapping around her form.

"It is blessed."

_  
Can't wait another day  
Right now I gotta face it  
  
_

Glimmer grins from her place in the bush, ecstatic about the exchange. She sees Catra's ears swivel back with her next words. "One good thing."

_  
I never ever wanna press rewind  
Never wanna go back in time  
  
_

At the wedding, Catra is happier than Glimmer has ever seen. As she trades tokens with Adora, kisses her wife. Glimmer takes account of everyone giving them their blessings. It'd been a long couple of years, but there were plenty of unfamiliar faces walking up to the magicat with either gifts or words of blessing. Even a familiar deer hybrid.

_  
Not much glory  
In that story but it's mine so I'm  
  
_

Glimmer hears Catra sliding down the door of her bedroom to sit on the floor. Right behind her.

"Why are you doing this Glimmer?"

"I'm not hiding." Glimmer growls.

"You literally ran from Bow and Adora and locked yourself in your room. I don't know what your definition of hiding is Sparkles, but that's definitely what you're doing."

Glimmer fights with herself, fully knowing that she is hiding, that Catra's right, that she's going to use her own patient silent strategy against her, but she's tired. So tired.

The silence drags on. She can hear Catra shooing and even hissing to keep people away. But still she doesn't speak. Catra taps on the door. Glimmer returns the code. She's still there.

"You know you don't have to agree with them." Catra offers.

"But if I don't I'd-"

"Be right."

Glimmer turns to look at the door. Shocked. "I'm right?"

"Yeah, the council can shove their plan up their ass and fuck off."

"But we'd be risking war if we decline." Glimmer whispers.

"Yeah."

"This is going to be messy."

"Yeah."

"Innocent people are going to be hurt if we're wrong"

"Yeah."

"And it'll be my fault."

"Nope."

This time. Glimmer glares at the door. "Stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"You know what you're doing!"

"What? Telling you the truth? Saying that being put in shitty situations isn't your fault? One mistake doesn't change that! This isn't your redemption."

Catra huffs. Glimmer can hear her cross her arms. "You didn't hear it from me, but neither of those two idiots blame you still. You were forgiven years ago. You're the only one that hasn't."

A smirk crosses her face. She was right. Glimmer knew, but she just needed someone else to say it.

"You've done enough." Catra finishes.

_  
Loving who I am today  
The past has past away  
  
_

They sink into the rug together. A long day of diplomacy behind them. They toast to finally coming back to Etheria for a break, but they're silent as they drink. They reminisce on the last month. The last year. The last decade.

Etheria was rebuilt. Peace was established. A galactic alliance was formed. Trade brought new cultures, technology, and people that enriched their planet and improved lives. At this point there was vaguely any reminders of the past. Of their mistakes. All that was left were their own thoughts. Their own expectations for themselves. They'd worked on doing one good thing. Then the next. Then the next. Each step taking them farther from their mistakes.

"Do you think we've done enough?" Catra asks, as she hands the bottle of wine to Glimmer. They'd been passing the bottle back and forth, enjoying the tunes of the stereo.

As Glimmer takes the last swig of wine, she nods, "We've done enough."

_  
Finally I  
Have forgiven me  
_


End file.
